Rain
by Myra109
Summary: DJ finds Stephanie sitting on the roof during a huge storm, drenched in rain and needing a shoulder to cry on. DJ is there for her. AU, bullying


_Hope you like the story._

 _Basically, Gia starts bullying Stephanie really badly._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

 ** _WARNINGS: BULLYING_**

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Rain poured around her, drenching her to the bone, but she barely noticed. She was alone, sitting on the roof of her family's home in the middle of a huge storm. It was dangerous; safety didn't even come to the mind of the heart broken girl that balanced herself on the roof, staring at the cloudy sky (causing the afternoon sun to disappear and make it look like it was actually nighttime), like it had the answer to all of her problems.

"There you are!" her older sister exclaimed. "One, being on the roof is incredibly dangerous. Two, it's pouring! You're going to get sick."

The girl didn't reply, didn't even acknowledge her sister's presence as DJ climbed up the side of the roof the same way her sister had almost two hours ago- by clinging to the pipe and using shingles as footholds until she reached the top of the roof, where her sister was sitting.

"Come on, Steph, let's go inside," DJ whispered close to her younger sister's ear in order to be heard over the beating of the rain against the house.

Stephanie Tanner shook her head.

DJ sighed and sat beside her sister.

"What's wrong?" DJ asked.

Stephanie remained silent for several moments, and just when DJ started to think she wouldn't respond, the younger girl spoke, very quietly. DJ had to strain her ears to hear her over the rain.

"You remember Gia?"

DJ nodded. "Yeah, your friend. Why?"

"She was my friend," Stephanie muttered, "until she stabbed me in the back."

DJ frowned. "What'd she do?"

"She's been spreading awful rumors about me. The kids at school… guys hit on me because she told them I was easy. Girls despise me because Gia says I spread rumors about them, even though it was actually her. She crossed the line, though…"

Tears trickled down Stephanie's cheeks, mingling with the rain dripping down her skin.

"She gave my number to someone, saying I'd love a good time. I got a phone call from some creepy, old guy, who wanted to… _spend time with me,"_ Stephanie sobbed. "She was my friend, Deej. How could she do this?"

DJ wrapped an arm around Stephanie and drew her sister into a hug, wiping the tears and rain away from Stephanie's eyes.

"Steph, sometimes people do bad things, and we don't know why. Maybe they're bitter or jealous or going through something in their own lives that make them sour, but it isn't your fault that Gia did this. You did nothing wrong, little sis."

"It just feels like it will never stop," Stephanie sniffled. "I have no friends. I'm getting calls from creepy old guys. People spray paint insults on my locker, stick horrible notes in my bag. Girls even trip me or hit me. One girl tried to push me down the stairs, Deej. And one gave me this."

Stephanie looked up after so long of avoiding DJ's eyes, and DJ squinted. Through the rain and in the darkness caused by the stormy and cloudy sky, she could barely make out a split lip and a huge bruise on Stephanie's cheek, coloring the left side of her jaw and parts of her neck an ugly shade of purple.

'That's why you came up here. You didn't want anyone to see," DJ whispered, lightly brushing her thumb over the bruise.

Stephanie nodded. "I thought I could handle it… but Deej, I can't handle it on my own."

Stephanie broke off into tears, and DJ cradled her, tightly, until Stephanie ran out of tears.

"You don't have to," DJ murmured. "Friends come and go. Sometimes they even become our enemies. But sisters are forever. You will always have me, not to mention the rest of our family. And Steph, I will go to that school and give Gia a piece of my mind. She will never bully you again, and if she even tries, you just say the word, and I'll be there. There's no shame in asking for help."

Stephanie nodded. "Thanks, DJ."

DJ nodded. "I love you, little sis. Never forget that. I will always be here for you, whenever you need me."

Stephanie nodded. "I know that. Can I sleep in your room tonight?" she asked, a red tint leaking into her cheeks. She was thirteen, after all; it must've been embarrassing for her to ask that.

DJ nodded. "Of course, and Saturday, we're going to have a sister day. Just you and me. This made me realize how little I've been there for you lately, and I want to change that. Now, what do you say we go inside and get changed?" she asked.

Stephanie nodded. "Definitely."

The two sisters climbed down from the roof and reentered the house through the attic window (luckily, no one was in the attic at the time). DJ slung an arm around Stephanie, and together, they walked downstairs.

Behind them, outside the window, the rain had stopped, and the clouds were starting to clear. The sun was beginning to appear in the sky…

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 _Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!_


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